The Box

I saw it at the CB and thought it would be a great box for small bits and pieces. It had a few old pens and crayons in it and it was a bargain at £1.50.

Yes it was a bargain once the contents were sorted.

Just look at the pens, pencils etc. inside.

Mind you what does anyone want 20 rubbers for?

I feel a sort out of my stationery, crayons and pens is in order now and that means attacking the shelves!!!

Good job I also purchased another I-key-ah basket! Bargain - just £1.00.

xx

Punding

I'm having a right, good time sorting wool.

All the double knit is together in different colours - reds and pinks, whites, blacks, blues etc..

All the baby wools, chunkies and cottons have been segregated ...

and I've found more unfinished bits to pull back.

Small things amuse simple minds!

Or could it be punding?

Oh dear!

xx

Short walk

My walk was in the garden today. Just outside the back door are the lily of the valley - a beautiful scent whenever we walk out the door.

The poppies come up everywhere and the blooms only last a few days. Each flower 'goes to sleep' at night and wakes again in the morning.

Walking down the side of the house I'm greeted by the B&M car park clematis which is still going strong, giving off another heady scent.

The strawberries are starting to flower and each day there are more and more buds opening.

These aquilegia pop up in different areas of the garden. Some I leave in and some I pull out.

Here's my walk to the back garden with the greenhouse at the end.

I won't turn round and take a picture because down the side of the house are the bins - not a pretty sight. However in the front garden there are more joys to behold. This is some sort of mock orange.

And here are euphorbia. They make a pretty bouquet but cannot be put in a glass vase because the leak a milky fluid. Is that another aquilegia that I spot there?

The iris are in full bloom but they only last a few weeks so I'll enjoy them while I can.

And here in the front is my rhubarb patch giving the impression of ornamental leaves. The blue flowers are the bluebells dying down.

Our giant calla lily keeps producing new blooms and the plant is nearly as tall as me - or should I say 'as small as me'!

Hope you enjoyed my short walk from the back to the front. I did walk down the road and back plus did a bit of weeding so I have had a little more exercise.

xx

Me in the style of

Menu Wednesday

Every week I would like to post in the stye of one of my Simply Delightful favourite blogs. A sort of homage to the writing and presentation techniques of the bloggers. This post is a combination of me and one of these bloggers.

We’re still clearing out the fridge here at the old homestead 

The menu has changed drastically this week and there may be some repeats so that everything is used up ready for the big defrost. There may be some meals that aren’t eaten which will just have to be used up next week.

Wednesday

Pork chops with chips

Thursday

Pork chops in onion gravy with mashed potatoes

Friday

Leftover pork chops in onion gravy with either roasted sweet potato or chips and mushrooms or this may be frozen to eat later in the week. If this is the case we will have grilled pork chops, veg from the freezer and boiled new potatoes with gravy

Saturday

Leftover pork chops in onion gravy made into a casserole with frozen veg from the freezer

Sunday

Roasted pork chops with roast potatoes and veg from the freezer 

Monday

One of the leftover pork meals from the freezer

Tuesday

Stir fry pork with mushrooms, onions, veg from the freezer

I am looking forward to next week’s menu which should be slightly different as we’ve eaten all the pork. Maybe I’ll substitute chicken for the meals we’ve had this week as we’ve still got plenty of chicken pieces in the freezer.

Everybody have a wonderful day.

God bless.

PS Never freeze 12 pork chops if there are only 2 of you in the house!

xx

'Here's looking at you' or 'One thing led to another'

I couldn't decide which title to have so I've put both. The small basket of small balls of wool needed tidying so I spent some time rewinding wool to get it looking tidy again. 

I left this messy lot until last.

I also wound back all the projects I'd started but not completed, which was very satisfying and I ended up with more small balls of wool. One crocheted square I left and added to it to make a cover for my new 'phone. The added bit folds over the top so the 'phone can't fall out. I needed additional  padding inside. (Who's good at dropping 'phones?)

So I made use of an old mobile cover. Poor chicky had lost one eye. When I'd finished with him he was minus the other eye, his beak and his 2 legs.

He was then tucked inside the pink and red cover and crocheted in. An added feature was the lanyard clip. (Who's good at dropping 'phones then?) I need mine attached to me at all times.

The addition of 2 eyes made the cover a little bit more appealing. So - one thing led to another!

Here's looking at you!

xx

In the style of

Not in my backyard.

Every week I would like to post in the style of one of my Simply Delightful favourite blogs. A sort of homage to the writing and presentation techniques of the bloggers. 

A very warm day today so off I went on my 1.5 mile walk along the streets to our local Aldi. Just a small shop this week as I've still got plenty to go at in the fridge and freezer.  My shopping chariot accompanied me as always.

The large gateposts of former large buildings still remain. Very imposing.

Along quite a few walls I espied miniature gardens basking in the sun.

Horse chestnuts are in full bloom.

Shame about this person's supper. Mustn't have liked the taste. The street is very handy for dropped litter. This is just one of many items littering the streets. Not much dog poo this morning though! I wish people would take their litter and pet c-rap home with them and then I can focus more on where I'm going rather than looking downwards all the time. Rant over.

Another wall garden of various ferns.

In a seaside town one has to have seaside tables.

The street was a heady delight of perfumed blossoms especially the lilacs. Shame we can't have smelly blogging. Spring is definitely here.

My chariot comes in handy when shopping. No heavy weight carrying for me.

Once filled I had the same journey back but on the other side of the road. Walk done and more exercise now gardening at home.

At least there'll be no litter in our garden!

Please look at my Simply Delightful Blogs to find out whose style I've tried to re-create here. :)

From my seat

Let's walk into the garden and sit on the seat in the strawberry patch.

In front of me is the edible garden - still rather bare but half of it is planted up and the other half will contain the corn and courgettes. The mange tout is growing well and the lettuce doing nicely. The potatoes are peeping through.

Directly in front are the strawberries and some already have flowers on them. The strawberries have survived the trampling when the greenhouse was overhauled.

To my left are the leaves of the plum cordon. We've never had many plums from this - perhaps I prune too brutally!

To my right is the greenhouse which contains 2 grapevines and the tomatoes. Soon a cucumber will be planted in there. I've pruned the grapevine to within an inch of its life but it has produced numerous bunches so it must be happy.

Behind right is the apple cordon with quite a few blooms. Hope they grow into apples.

Left in the bed is a blueberry bush with quite a few flowers - within picking distance of the bench.

Also left is another grapevine bought for a pound from a nursery that was closing down. Already it has grown up to the top of the pergola and needs a bit of a train. It does not have grapes on yet.

Below are some weeds that have been pulled from the strawberry bed. Each time we sit out I have a quick pull up of the never ending weed visitors.

In front to the left is the edge of the edible plot and part of the patio area.

It's been a lovely sunny day here. Hope the warmth lasts.

xx

In the style of

Monday

Good morning! Every week I would like to post in the style of one of my Simply Delightful favourite blogs. A sort of homage to the writing and presentation techniques of the bloggers.

So, hello everyone. First day of a new month. Let’s hope the weather hots up and then we can have more days out and about in the garden. It looks like it’s going to be a fresh and warm day today, without the gusty winds which we had yesterday. Just right for a Bank Holiday car boot maybe.

In spite of the wind I managed to get quite a bit done yesterday as well as fitting in my walk, which was up the road and back and down the road and back so making 2.2 miles in total. There was some time spent in the garden hoeing weeds and inspecting the plants in the greenhouse. The corn is now a couple of centimetres high and the grapevine is going great guns. I’ve started pinching out the side shoots on the tomatoes. I’ll probable get some more time in today to do some more hoeing (must keep on top of those weeds) and then I’m going to plant some runner beans outside. There’s already one runner bean sprouting which must have been dropped last year. I shall leave it in and give it its own support.

I forgot to make some bread yesterday so that will be first on the agenda today. There’s nothing to match home made bread. The shop bought versions are limp alternatives which taste of nothing and disintegrate in the mouth. 

Other tasks for today include making a chicken casserole (still eating from the freezer - only 2 shelves to go) and going for a swim. My walking will be around the car boot and walking to the gym. Breakfast will probably be a bacon butty at the car boot so this will last us until we eat the casserole at tea time. We may have some fruit or a small snack at lunch time depending on how hungry we feel.

We will have no rest in the evening as it is the evening for our music group. Should be fun and afterwards we’ll flop in front of the TV to watch a new series. All in all a very full day which is just the way I like it. We've been sleeping better recently but last night the fences were rattling due to the wind. Needless to say they were fixed yesterday so tonights sleep should be noise free.

Hope your day will be productive and full.


Please look my Simply Delightful Blogs to find out whose style I've tried to re-create here. :)